Max Nocerino 
In A Quiet Place: Day One, the film masterfully conveys the intense panic and horror experienced by the characters as they strive to avoid making even the slightest sound.
I saw A Quiet Place: Day One on the 4th of July, and while it was silent, the fun and action spoke volumes.
The movie immediately begins on an incredibly melancholy note. We are introduced to Sam, a young woman with terminal cancer who is spending her remaining days in a hospice outside New York City. The highly talented Lupita N’yongo plays Sam, and she is SO angry about her life and doesn’t find the nurse-led group talks very illuminating. I get it. Who wants to share stories or talk when you know you are going to die? The nurse, Reuben, tries to get her to be more enthusiastic, but Sam is not having any of it. Unfortunately, she wants to get some pizza in the city, and Reuben tricks her into attending a boring marionette show in Manhattan.
Sam is not even remotely interested. It’s regrettable and depressing that this poor woman has only her therapy cat, Frodo, for joy or support. She walks Frodo on a leash, and the adorable cat reminds me a lot of my cat, especially with the coloring.
THE DEATH ANGELS
Anyway, the imminent arrival of the Death Angels is foreshadowed quickly. Still, as fighter jets streak above the skies over the island city, there is a stir going on with the government. Then, without warning, a group of meteors impacts the ground, and Sam is knocked down in the hospice bus. Covered in soot and looking like an ashen war refugee, Sam stumbles through the area, heavily obscured by smoke. These terrifying monsters appear instantly and waste no time attacking people who unknowingly make noise.
It really was quite an excellent disaster movie, and Lupita N’yongo’s acting was on par. I admit I spent most of the time on the edge of my seat for Frodo. The poor cat ran away in fear several times, and a knot in my stomach formed as I thought those awful creatures attacked him. I am a huge cat lover. Yet perhaps God is here, and Frodo always seems to return it safely to his owner.
INVASION
The Death Angels are a terrifying horror show of apex predators, running across buildings like creepy spiders and attacking and devouring anything that makes even the slightest noise. While they seem invincible, the characters soon realize they are completely blind and cannot swim. Therefore, the best way to evade them is to make no sound and find a boat or something on the water to leave the city. Sadly, this is easier said than done. I was a little confused because we don’t see people trying to escape these horrors in cars or any other type of vehicle. But that is only a minor complaint, perhaps because everyone is a commuter in this warzone. Ah, New Yorkers.
The government trumpets instructions as the fighter jets fly by: “You must evacuate and get to the docks so you can be ferried out of the city.” Unfortunately, many people are not so lucky, and the monsters kill most of the crowds.
SAM & ERIC
Ironically, Sam, who is terminally ill, seems to escape death by the skin of her teeth constantly throughout the movie. After some close calls, she soon meets a young British man named Eric. Another outstanding actor, Joseph Quinn, plays Eric, and I genuinely felt for this character. He arrived from London to attend law school, leaving his parents behind and finding himself trapped in this nightmare. His fear is palpable, and he is so terrified that he follows Sam everywhere and silently pleads to let him go with her—this poor kid. “I don’t want to die,” he says when rain obscures their voices (allowing them to talk for a brief moment safely). Sam tries to ditch him initially but soon finds him an unlikely ally. He is a kind soul and risks his life to get her pain management meds from a ravaged pharmacy.
They can’t talk much, but Sam reveals she was a poet, and her father was an incredible piano player who died, just like she will soon do. The sadness that gripped my heart as I watched got me choked up, as one of the worst things about being human is knowing that you are going to die and there is nothing you can do to stop it.
SILENCE IS SALVATION
Silence dominates the movie, but charged tension and body language speak more emotion than any “chatty” movie could. I truly felt the panic and horror of these people as they painstakingly tried not to make a single sound. They occasionally failed, making a slight sound and drawing the creatures to their vicinity.
I noted the strong symbolism when Sam and Eric took refuge in a church during the film. I realize that part of my upset was that this movie stirred up some old feelings of anxiety with the COVID-19 pandemic. After all, I am a New Yorker. For over a year, I lived in fear, feeling isolated as the pandemic claimed the lives of countless of my neighbors. It pales compared to an alien invasion, but the same basic idea existed.
VERDICT
I was so on the edge of my seat that I failed to see the apparent conclusion of the movie. But notwithstanding, this was indeed the tearjerker and thriller that any summer movie season needs. I liked every part and can’t wait for John Krasinski to close up the franchise. His final final in the series is slated to release in 2025.
A Quiet Place: Day One is playing in theatres everywhere now.
Max Nocerino is a regular Staff Writer for The Future of the Force. He is a passionate Star Wars fan and loves the literature of the galaxy far, far away. Follow him on Twitter where he shares his love of the Force frequently!
